Archæography Ar`chæ·og"ra·phy noun [ Greek ... ancient + -graphy .] A description of, or a treatise on, antiquity or antiquities.

Archæolithic Ar`chæ·o·lith"ic adjective [ Greek 'archai^os ancient + liqiko`s pertaining to a stone.] (Archæol.) Of or pertaining to the earliest Stone age; -- applied to a prehistoric period preceding the Paleolithic age.

Archæologian Ar`chæ·o·lo"gi·an noun An archæologist.

Archæologic, Archæological Ar`chæ·o·log"ic, Ar`chæ·o·log"ic·al Relating to archæology, or antiquities; as, archæological researches. -- Ar`*chæ*o*log"ic*al*ly , adverb

Archæologist Ar`chæ·ol"o·gist noun One versed in archæology; an antiquary. Wright.

Archæology Ar`chæ·ol"o·gy noun [ Greek ...; 'archai^os ancient (fr. 'archh` beginning) + ... discourse, ... to speak.] The science or study of antiquities, esp. prehistoric antiquities, such as the remains of buildings or monuments of an early epoch, inscriptions, implements, and other relics, written manuscripts, etc.

Archæopteryx Ar`chæ·op"te·ryx noun [ Greek 'archai^os ancient + pte`ryx wing.] (Paleon.) A fossil bird, of the Jurassic period, remarkable for having a long tapering tail of many vertebræ with feathers along each side, and jaws armed with teeth, with other reptilian characteristics.

Archæostomatous Ar`chæ·o·stom"a·tous adjective [ Greek 'archai^os ancient + sto`ma mouth.] (Biol.) Applied to a gastrula when the blastopore does not entirely close up.

Archæozoic Ar`chæ·o·zo"ic adjective [ Greek 'archai^os ancient + zw^,on animal.] (Zoology) Like or belonging to the earliest forms of animal life.

Arciform Ar"ci·form adjective [ Latin arcus bow + -form .] Having the form of an arch; curved.

Arcograph Arc"o·graph noun [ Latin arcus (E. arc ) + -graph .] An instrument for drawing a circular arc without the use of a central point; a cyclograph.

Arctation Arc·ta"tion noun [ Latin arctus shut in, narrow, past participle of arcere to shut in: confer French arctation .] (Medicine) Constriction or contraction of some natural passage, as in constipation from inflammation.

Arctic Arc"tic adjective [ Middle English artik , Old French artique , French arctique , Latin arcticus , from Greek ..., from ... a bear, also a northern constellation so called; akin to Latin ursus bear, Sanskrit ...ksha.] Pertaining to, or situated under, the northern constellation called the Bear ; northern; frigid; as, the arctic pole, circle, region, ocean; an arctic expedition, night, temperature.

» The arctic circle is a lesser circle, parallel to the equator, 23° 28′ from the north pole. This and the antarctic circle are called the polar circles , and between these and the poles lie the frigid zones. See Zone .

Arctic Arc"tic noun 1. The arctic circle.

2. A warm waterproof overshoe. [ U.S.]

Arctisca Arc·tis"ca noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... bear.] (Zoology) A group of Arachnida. See Illust. in Appendix.

Arctogeal Arc`to·ge"al adjective [ Greek ... the north + ..., ..., country.] (Zoology) Of or pertaining to arctic lands; as, the arctogeal fauna.

Arctoidea Arc·toid"e·a noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... bear + -oid .] (Zoology) A group of the Carnivora, that includes the bears, weasels, etc.

Arcturus Arc·tu"rus noun [ Latin Arcturus , Greek ... bearward, equiv. to ...; ... bear + ... ward, guard. See Arctic .] (Anat.) A fixed star of the first magnitude in the constellation Boötes.

» Arcturus has sometimes been incorrectly used as the name of the constellation, or even of Ursa Major.

Canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons [ Rev. Ver.: "the Bear with her train"].
Job xxxviii. 32.

Arcual Arc"u·al adjective Of or pertaining to an arc.

Arcual measure of an angle (Math.) , that in which the unit angle has its measuring arc equal to the radius of the circle.

Arcuate, Arcuated Arc"u·ate, Arc"u·a`ted adjective [ Latin arcuatus , past participle of arcuare to shape like a bow, from arcus . See Arc .] Bent or curved in the form of a bow. " Arcuate stalks." Gray.

Arcuately Arc"u·ate·ly adverb In the form of a bow.

Arcuation Arc`u·a"tion noun [ Latin arcuatio .] 1. The act of bending or curving; incurvation; the state of being bent; crookedness. Coxe.

2. (Hort.) A mode of propagating trees by bending branches to the ground, and covering the small shoots with earth; layering. Chambers.

Arcubalist Ar"cu·ba·list noun [ See Arbalist .] A crossbow. Fosbroke.

Arcubalister Ar`cu·bal"ist·er noun [ Latin arcuballistarius . Confer Arbalister .] A crossbowman; one who used the arcubalist. Camden.

Arcubus Ar"cu·bus noun See Arquebus . [ Obsolete]

Ardassine Ar·das"sine noun [ French (cf. Spanish ardacina ), from ardasse a kind of silk thread, from Arabic & Persian ardan a kind of raw silk.] A very fine sort of Persian silk.

Ardency Ar"den·cy noun 1. Heat. [ R.] Sir T. Herbert.

2. Warmth of passion or affection; ardor; vehemence; eagerness; as, the ardency of love or zeal.

Ardent Ar"dent adjective [ Middle English ardaunt , French ardant , present participle of arder to burn, from Latin ardere .] 1. Hot or burning; causing a sensation of burning; fiery; as, ardent spirits, that is, distilled liquors; an ardent fever.

2. Having the appearance or quality of fire; fierce; glowing; shining; as, ardent eyes. Dryden.

3. Warm, applied to the passions and affections; passionate; fervent; zealous; vehement; as, ardent love, feelings, zeal, hope, temper.

An ardent and impetuous race.
Macaulay.

Syn. -- Burning; hot; fiery; glowing; intense; fierce; vehement; eager; zealous; keen; fervid; fervent; passionate; affectionate.

Ardently Ar"dent·ly adverb In an ardent manner; eagerly; with warmth; affectionately; passionately.

Ardentness Ar"dent·ness noun Ardency. [ R.]

Ardois system Ar`dois" sys"tem (Nautical) A widely used system of electric night signals in which a series of double electric lamps (white and red) is arranged vertically on a mast, and operated from a keyboard below.

Ardor Ar"dor noun [ Latin ardor , from ardere to burn: confer Old French ardor , ardur , French ardeur .] [ Spelt also ardour .] 1. Heat, in a literal sense; as, the ardor of the sun's rays.

2. Warmth or heat of passion or affection; eagerness; zeal; as, he pursues study with ardor ; the fought with ardor ; martial ardor .

3. plural Bright and effulgent spirits; seraphim. [ Thus used by Milton.]

Syn. -- Fervor; warmth; eagerness. See Fervor .

Arduous Ar"du·ous adjective [ Latin arduus steep, high; akin to Ir. ard high, height.] 1. Steep and lofty, in a literal sense; hard to climb.

Those arduous paths they trod.
Pope.

2. Attended with great labor, like the ascending of acclivities; difficult; laborious; as, an arduous employment, task, or enterprise.

Syn. -- Difficult; trying; laborious; painful; exhausting. -- Arduous , Hard , Difficult . Hard is simpler, blunter, and more general in sense than difficult ; as, a hard duty to perform, hard work, a hard task, one which requires much bodily effort and perseverance to do. Difficult commonly implies more skill and sagacity than hard , as when there is disproportion between the means and the end. A work may be hard but not difficult . We call a thing arduous when it requires strenuous and persevering exertion, like that of one who is climbing a precipice; as, an arduous task, an arduous duty. "It is often difficult to control our feelings; it is still harder to subdue our will; but it is an arduous undertaking to control the unruly and contending will of others."

Arduously Ar"du·ous·ly adverb In an arduous manner; with difficulty or laboriousness.

Arduousness Ar"du·ous·ness noun The quality of being arduous; difficulty of execution.

Ardurous Ar"du·rous adjective Burning; ardent. [ R.]

Lo! further on,
Where flames the arduous Spirit of Isidore.
Cary.

Are Are [ Anglo-Saxon (Northumbrian) aron , akin to the 1st pers. plural forms, Icelandic erum , Goth. sijum , Latin sumus , Greek ..., Sanskrit smas ; all from a root as . ... See Am and Is , and confer Be .] The present indicative plural of the substantive verb to be ; but etymologically a different word from be , or was . Am , art , are , and is , all come from the root as .

Are Are noun [ French, from Latin area . See Area .] (Metric system) The unit of superficial measure, being a square of which each side is ten meters in length; 100 square meters, or about 119.6 square yards.

Area A"re·a (ā"re*ȧ; 277) noun ; plural Areas (-ȧz) . [ Latin area a broad piece of level ground. Confer Are , noun ] 1. Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building.

The Alban lake . . . looks like the area of some vast amphitheater.
Addison.

2. The inclosed space on which a building stands.

3. The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building.

4. An extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas .

5. (Geom.) The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.

6. (Biol.) A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area .

7. Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought.

The largest area of human history and man's common nature.
F. Harrison.

Dry area . See under Dry .

Aread, Areed A·read", A·reed" transitive verb [ Middle English areden , Anglo-Saxon ārǣdan to interpret. See Read .] 1. To tell, declare, explain, or interpret; to divine; to guess; as, to aread a riddle or a dream. [ Obsolete]

Therefore more plain aread this doubtful case.
Spenser.

2. To read. [ Obsolete] Drayton.

3. To counsel, advise, warn, or direct.

But mark what I aread thee now. Avaunt!
Milton.

4. To decree; to adjudge. [ Archaic] Ld. Lytton.

Areal A"re·al adjective [ Confer Latin arealis , from area .] Of or pertaining to an area; as, areal interstices (the areas or spaces inclosed by the reticulate vessels of leaves).

Arear A·rear" transitive verb & i. [ Anglo-Saxon ārǣran . See Rear .] To raise; to set up; to stir up. [ Obsolete]

Arear A·rear" adverb [ See Arrear , adverb ] Backward; in or to the rear; behindhand. Spenser.

Areca A·re"ca noun [ Canarese adiki : confer Portuguese & Spanish areca .] (Botany) A genus of palms, one species of which produces the areca nut, or betel nut, which is chewed in India with the leaf of the Piper Betle and lime.

Arecoline A·re"co·line noun Also - lin [ From New Latin Areca , a genus of palms bearing betel nut.] An oily liquid substance, C ₈ H ₁₃ O ₂ N, the chief alkaloid of the betel nut, to which the latter owes its anthelmintic action.

Areek A·reek" adverb & adjective [ Prefix a- + reek .] In a reeking condition. Swift.

Arefaction Ar`e·fac"tion noun [ Latin arefacere to dry.] The act of drying, or the state of growing dry.

The arefaction of the earth.
Sir M. Hale.

Arefy Ar"e·fy transitive verb [ Latin arere to be dry + -fly .] To dry, or make dry. Bacon.

Arena A·re"na noun ; plural English Arenas ; Latin Arenæ [ Latin arena , harena , sand, a sandy place.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) The area in the central part of an amphitheater, in which the gladiators fought and other shows were exhibited; -- so called because it was covered with sand.

2. Any place of public contest or exertion; any sphere of action; as, the arena of debate; the arena of life.

3. (Medicine) "Sand" or "gravel" in the kidneys.

Arenaceous Ar`e·na"ceous adjective [ Latin arenaceus , from arena sand.] Sandy or consisting largely of sand; of the nature of sand; easily disintegrating into sand; friable; as, arenaceous limestone.

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